This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0071153, filed in Korea on Jul. 16, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.
1. Field
This relates to an ice maker and a controlling method thereof, and more particularly, to an ice maker that is capable of preventing the overflow or splashing of water or thin ice out of an ice tray as water is supplied to the ice tray, or when the ice tray is shaken by an external force, and a controlling method of such an ice maker.
2. Background
Generally, an ice maker is provided in a freezing apparatus such as, for example, a refrigerator, a water purifier, a vending machine, and an ice making apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as “a refrigerator or the like”). In a simple ice making systems, a container containing water is placed in a freezing chamber and the water is frozen below the freezing point to produce ice. The container may be an ice tray having an interior divided into a plurality of spaces into which water may be supplied and frozen into ice. The ice may then be separated from the container manually, or in an automated manner. In a manual system, a user manually removes the ice from the freezing chamber.
Ice trays may be classified as a heating type ice tray or as a twist type ice tray based on how the ice is separated from the tray. In an automated heating type ice tray, a heater heats the ice tray such that the outer surface of the ice in the ice tray melts and separates from the ice tray. In a twist type ice tray, the ice tray is twisted, and the ice is separated from the ice tray without the use of a heater. An ice separating system and method which minimizes or eliminates the flow of water and/or partially frozen, thin pieces of ice, out of the tray is desirable.